What Will the Next Pandemic Teach Us? Rethinking Preparedness Beyond Biology

The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, but it also gave us lessons we’re only just beginning to understand. For over three years, we watched science make history, with vaccines developed in record time, lockdowns enforced globally, and entire systems stretched to their limits. Yet, as I look back on it all, I wonder—did we focus too much on the virus and not enough on the people?

What if the key to surviving the next pandemic isn’t just about faster vaccines or better hospitals, but about trust, collaboration, and the way we communicate as humans?

The Science Was Fast, But the Trust Was Slow

It’s impossible not to be amazed by how quickly mRNA vaccines came to the rescue during COVID-19. Moderna started trials just 66 days after the virus’s genome was sequenced, compared to the four years it took for the mumps vaccine. These vaccines have now saved an estimated 20 million lives. But here’s the thing: not everyone trusted them.

In the UK, 42% of adults believed at least one conspiracy theory about COVID-19. People doubted the safety of vaccines, the reality of the virus, even the intentions of doctors. How could this happen? We had the science, the data, the answers—but it wasn’t enough. Misinformation spread faster than the virus, leaving many vulnerable to both fear and disease.

Maybe public trust is like a vaccine itself—something that needs building and boosting long before a crisis hits. What if part of being a medic or scientist isn’t just about finding solutions, but making sure people understand and trust them? Could that save as many lives as the technology itself?

Beyond the Lab: The Power of Collaboration

When we think about pandemic preparedness, it’s easy to imagine labs full of scientists working on the next big cure. But COVID-19 wasn’t just a medical crisis—it was economic, social, and psychological. So why aren’t we preparing for the next pandemic with the same mindset?

During the pandemic, researchers worked together across borders to sequence genomes and test vaccines. But what if collaboration went beyond medicine? What if doctors teamed up with psychologists to address the mental health toll of lockdowns? Or with sociologists to understand why some communities resist public health measures?

Take the example of wastewater surveillance. Scientists in the UK used this method to detect new COVID-19 variants weeks before clinical cases appeared. What if environmentalists, public health officials, and medics worked together to expand this system globally? Could we stop outbreaks before they even start?

Pandemics don’t stay in boxes. If the next crisis is going to hit everywhere, we need to connect everywhere too.

The Ethical Dilemmas No One Talks About

COVID-19 forced us to make decisions we never imagined. Who should get the first vaccine doses? Should individual freedoms be sacrificed for the public good? Should wealthy nations prioritise their own citizens, or share resources with countries in greater need?

These are uncomfortable questions, but they’re ones future medics and scientists will face again. The next pandemic will test more than our scientific knowledge—it will test our values. Imagine you’re working in an overwhelmed hospital during a future outbreak. There’s one ICU bed left. How do you decide who gets it? Is it the elderly patient with a higher risk of death or the younger one with a longer life ahead of them?

These are the realities we’ll face. Ignoring them now doesn’t prepare us—it just leaves us unready for the moral weight of what’s to come.

Humanising Preparedness

One thing that COVID-19 taught us is that science isn’t enough on its own. Vaccines can’t explain themselves. Data can’t inspire trust. Public health measures don’t work without public understanding. As much as we need better technology, we also need better connections—with communities, with patients, with each other.

Take Beth’s story. At 17, she volunteered at her local hospital during the pandemic, helping patients and learning about healthcare. But when she caught COVID-19 herself, she developed long COVID. For months, she struggled to walk short distances without exhaustion. Today, Beth is studying biomedical science, inspired by her own challenges to find solutions for others. Stories like hers remind us that the human side of medicine is just as important as the scientific one.

As a Year 12 student, I think a lot about the future of healthcare—not just the breakthroughs, but the relationships. How can we train the next generation of medics to not only save lives but also build trust and understanding? How can we teach scientists to communicate with people, not just publish in journals?

Preparing for What’s Next

COVID-19 may have been devastating, but experts warn that the next pandemic could be worse. Viruses like H5N1 bird flu, which has a fatality rate of around 50%, could easily trigger a global crisis if they become more transmissible. Climate change, deforestation, and factory farming are increasing the risk of zoonotic spillovers—when viruses jump from animals to humans.

But let’s be honest: no amount of preparation will matter if people don’t trust the science or each other. Public trust is the foundation of everything else. Without it, even the best vaccines and treatments can fall apart.

What Will You Do?

The next pandemic won’t just be a test of science—it will be a test of humanity. Will we be able to work together, trust each other, and make decisions that reflect our shared values?

As someone who dreams of working in medicine, I want to be part of the solution—not just in the lab, but in the way we talk, listen, and connect. Because if there’s one thing COVID-19 taught us, it’s that saving lives isn’t just about science. It’s about people.

So, what role will you play?